Fixation of traditional cranio-facial fractures in fracture fixation and reconstructive surgery has often involved the use of titanium plates bent by surgeons to the contour of the bone and then secured to the bone by titanium screws. Although biocompatible, the titanium screws and plates often cause complications such as bone resorption due to stress shielding of the bone, bone necrosis and can loosen, requiring removal of the hardware.
Bio-resorbable plates and screws have also been used in cranio-facial surgery. The bio-resorable plates also require bending by the surgeon intra-operatively, to conform with the geometry of the subject's cranium.
In the use of titanium and bio-resorbable plates there exists a risk of the plates gradually returning toward their original shape due to residual stresses causes from bending by the surgeon.
Another complication in existing surgical hardware is often the holes in the plates are either too near or to far from the fracture site, and adequate fixation is not achieved.